Gate-latch.



W. LOUDEN.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. l9l5.

1,183,090. Patented May16,1916.

WILLIAM LOUIDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 65,043.

To all 10. mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLLUL LOUDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fail-field, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Gate-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates principally to that class of latches which are used on animal pens, comprising mostly a series of upright bars preferably made of tubular iron or steel, and it consists of means whereby the latch on the gate will automatically engage a catch on one of these bars or posts and be automatically locked thereto jso that an ani mal cannot release it.

My invention consists also of other features described in this specification, and more definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a series 9f the bars used in an animal pen, the one at the left being a portion of the gate post, and the other four being portions of the gate frame and fillers,

" as will be hereafter described, the whole being fitted with a latch and catch embodying my invention. Fig52 is a side view of the post and the end of the latch held in the catch by a keeper or dogging device, both of which are attached to the gate post. Fig. 3 is the same, showing the keeper pushed in against the post and the latch partly raised out of the catch. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on line .44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is the same on line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on line 77 of Fig. 6. 3

Referring to the drawing, A is a. portion of a gate post, such as is used in animal pens.

is a portion of a gate frame, and C represents portions of the central bars or fillers of a gate.

D is a latch which is pivoted at its inner end to one of the fillers C by means of a bolt (Z, and is provided with a handle E. W

F is a guide piece having its central part offset and its ends secured to the 'gate frame B to limit the vertical moyementof the latch and to hold it laterally close to the bar B.

G is a catch for the latch which is secured to the gate post A by means of a clip bolt H.

K is a keeper or dogging device which is pivoted near its upper end to a clip I socured to the post A, so that the keeper will normally hang directly over the recess of the catch G and stand centrally with the post. Whenthe keeper is in this position the latch cannot be released from the catch. To release it the keeper K has to be pushed laterally in against the post A, to permit the latch to be lifted out 'ofthe catch, as indicated in Fig. 3.

It will beamderstood by those skilled in the art that the gate (only some portions of which are shown) is hinged at the opposite side from that on which the latch is mounted, and when the latch is released from the catch it maybe swung back toopen the gate. In shutting the gate the outer end of the latch will slide up and over the inclined partg of the catch, and striking against the keeper K will push it in against the post A, when the latch will drop into the recess of the catch below the keeper. As soon as the latch dro-ps below the keeper the latter will swing out laterally from the post as shown in Fig. 2. When in thisposition the latch cannot be released from the catch. To release it the keeper will have it be pushed back against the post, as shown in Fig. 3.

The keeper is pivoted at its upper end to the clip J by means of a bolt O which is set out" far enough from thepost to cause the keeper to swing eat over the latch and hold the latch therein When a cylindrical post is used, as shown in Figs'l, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the inner face of the lower end of the keeper is made concave and the central portion thereof is cut away so that when the keeper is pushed in against the post its side portions will lie snugly around the post and will permit the latch to be raised out of the catch. The upper end of the keeper K is provided with a projecting point J which will: rest against the post to prevent the lower end of the keeper from swinging out too far when hanging in its normal position.

WVhen a fiat or square post A is used, as shown Figs. and 7, a notch or recess L will have to be inade therein to receiye the lower end of the keeper K, (which is a modified form of the keeper K), when it is pushed into permit the latch D to be lifted out of the catch'G. In this case the base of the catch should be made flat to fit the face of the post and be held thereon by bolts M passed through the post. The keeper holder 1 will also have to be made to fit the post and be secured thereto.

The part of the catch which rests against a round post is made concave to fit its contour and is provided with lugs at the sides having holes to receive the ends of the clip bolt H. The outwardly projecting inclined portion 9 is extended out from the base portions and is preferably made thin, and is provided with flanges where it receives the latch. The entire construction is neat and well proportioned, and is designed to perform its functions easily and with certainty.

\Vhat I claim is;

1. In a device of the character described, a latch-bar pivotally supported at its inner end and having a guide to limit the movement of its outer end, a catch having an in cli'ne'd lip over which the movable end of thelatch-bar will slide and behind which it will drop, means to secure the catch to a post adjacent to the movable end of the latchbar, and a pendent member pivoted at its upper end to a central part of the post immediately over the catch, said member being adapted to be pushed back against the'post by the latch-bar as it slides over the inclined lip of the catch and when the latch-bar drops then swing out laterally from the post to its normal position over the catch.

2. In a device of the character described, a catch secured to a vertically disposed cylindrical post, a pendent member pivoted to said post above the catch and standing normally over said catch and the latch which may enter the catch, the lower end of said member being made concave to fit the contour of the post.

3. In a device of the character described, a catch secured to a vertically disposed cylindrical post, a pendent me'mb'er pivoted to said post above the catch and standing normally over said catch and the latch which may enter the catch, the lower end of said member being made concave to fit the contour of the post, and its central portion being cut away so that when pushed against the post its lower end will not extend out beyond the edge of the post.

4:. In a device of the character described, a pendent member pivoted to a support secured to and extended out a distance from a vertically disposed post, said member being adapted to stand normally over a catch secured to the post below the member, the upper end of the member being provided with a projecting point adapted to come in contact with the post and limit the outward swing of the lower end of the member.

5. In a device of the character described, a vertically disposed cylindrical post, a catch having a narrow vertically disposed outstanding inclined lip formed on a base to fit the contour of one side of the post, and having a laterally extending lug on each side thereof with holes therein, and a clip bolt placed around the post and its ends passed through the holes in the lugs of the catch, whereby the catch will be secured to.

the post. I

6. The combination of a latch bar pivotally supported at one end and having a guide to limit the movement of the ot ier end, a vertically disposed cylindrical post adjacent to the movable end of the latch bar, a catch having an outstanding inclined lip and means to secure the catch to the post, the movable end of the latch bar being adapted to slide over the inclined lip and to drop behind it, and the latch bar having a handle formed by doubling its movable end back on itself and securing it thereto.

7. The combination of a latch bar pivotally supported at one end and having a guide to limit the movement of the other end, a vertically disposed cylindrical post adjacent to the movable end of the latch bar and a catch having an outstanding inclined lip and means to secure the catch to the post, the movable end of the latch bar being adapted to slide over the inclined lip and to drop behind it, a clip secured to the post and a pendent member pivoted to the clip and adapted to stand normally over the movable end of the latch bar.

Fairfield, Iowa, December 2, 1915.

WILLIAM LOUDEN. Witnesses:

GERTRUDE K. FOWLER, RUTH E. LARSON.

co ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent; Washington, D. O. 

